[“3 things happening in NC” is Cardinal & Pine’s weekly guide to the most important storylines and events of the week ahead.]
The North Carolina General Assembly will not convene this week, as lawmakers are on summer recess until July 27. With that in mind, we turn our attention to some more urgent news in Brunswick County, where a wildfire broke out on Friday and has continued to threaten nearby communities over the weekend.
There was a time when we expected wildfires in the mountains of North Carolina and hurricanes hitting the coast, but if Helene taught us anything it’s that we should be ready for anything. I digress though.
Brunswick is home to Ocean Isle, Sunset, Holden and Caswell beaches along with Bald Head Island, Southport and Oak Island. The Quarry Road Fire, as the NC Forest Service is calling it, started between Ocean Isle and Sunset.
I vacationed with my family at Ocean Isle Beach every summer growing up, and while this specific fire doesn’t appear to be a huge threat to jump the bridge any time soon, it’s always a concern to see a town you love in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
I’m thinking of all the wildland firefighting crews that are working in this heat through the coming week to keep folks in all the surrounding areas safe.
Shallotte wildfire at least 50% contained
The NC Forest Service is reporting that a fire now known as the Quarry Road fire ignited in Shallotte by unknown circumstances on Friday and by noon on Sunday had burned through 283 acres. The fire is believed to have started near Old Georgetown and Hale Swamp roads.
As of the time of the last report on Sunday, firefighting crews had reported 50% containment for the fire, referring to sections of the fire line where no further action is believed to be needed from firefighters to stop the fire from crossing the line.
The Forest Service reported Sunday that around eight-tenths of an inch of rain fell in the area on Saturday, which helped to extinguish some areas of the fire that were especially dangerous due to the presence of “light and flashy fuels” such as dry underbrush. However, continued windy conditions posed a threat that some areas could reignite.
While some communities in and around Sunset and Ocean Isle beaches and Shallotte were evacuated Saturday, as of noon on Sunday all evacuation orders had been lifted and families were returning to their homes.
You can follow the Brunswick County emergency management page for updates.
Historic Wilkesboro Speedway hosts a meaningful race
For the first time since 1996, championship points will be on the line at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway as the inaugural Window World 450 marks the return of points-paying Cup Series competition to one of NASCAR’s most iconic short tracks.
Having reopened in August 2022 after sitting mostly dormant for nearly 30 years, the North Wilkesboro Speedway has hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race over the last three years. But this weekend, points racing is back.
A full field is signed up to compete at the 0.625-mile short track with a historic connection to illegal moonshining (no, the cave isn’t real), and drivers are amped.
Currently ranked third in the Cup Series points race, Ryan Blaney said he was psyched when the All-Star Race came to Wilkesboro in 2022 so he’s definitely excited to race the track for points and perhaps pull himself into the Top 2 in the chase for the Cup.
“It’s just an important piece of NASCAR history for us,” Blaney said in a release. “The track is just taking steps to become bigger and bigger and back to what it should be, and the people in that area, they are huge motorsports fans.”
Learn more and/or find tickets at the North Wilkesboro Speedway website.
Candor hosts the 23rd annual NC Peach Festival
Tucked into the eastern border of the Uwharrie National Forest, Candor, NC, has a population under 1,000 according to the 2020 US Census, yet it somehow occupies two counties (Moore and Montgomery). None of that is important for this entry, though. All you need to know is: peaches.
Beginning with the planting of 30,000 peach trees just south of the town by the Candor Fruit Company in 1902, Candor has since come to be known as the Peach Capital of North Carolina.
But this weekend is not just about the peaches. The three-day festival kicks off on Thursday with the Flamin’ Hot Wing Competition and also includes live music, a parade and all sorts of other festivities. It’s a great way to experience small-town charm in North Carolina.
